Machine for cleaning articles.



0. A. MATSON.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1913.

Patented Feb.10,1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CCL, WASHINGTON, D4 c= :1: TED srnrns PATENT ornio CARL A. MATSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO ALBERT 1V1. HOYT, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING ARTICLE$.

Application filed February 19, 1913.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. MArsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of lvlassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cleaning dust and dirt off of articles and is particularly adapted to clean boots and shoes, the object of the invention being to provide a machine in which, when an article, such as a boot or shoe, is held against the brushes, there will be no tendency to push the shoe in one direction or another, and this result is accomplished in the machine of this invention by placing two rotary brushes adjacent to each other and supplying means to rotate said brushes in opposite directions, respectively, the brushes being substantially concentric with each other.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved machine for cleaning articles, there being shown in connection therewith a pair of driving pulleys. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 is a frame provided with two bearings 6 and 7. A shaft 8 is rotatably mounted in said bearings, said shaft having a reduced portion 9 extending through the bearing 7 while the portion 10 of said shaft which is not reduced in diameter extends through the bearing 6. A shoulder 11 is formed at the juncture of the portions 9 and 10 of the shaft 8.

A hollow shaft 12 is rotatably mounted within the bearing 7 and the reduced portion 9 of the shaft 8 rotates within the hollow shaft 12.

A pulley 13 is fastened to the shaft 8 and a pulley ll is formed integral with the shaft 12, it being evident, however, that said pulley 14 may be made as a separate piece and fastened to the hollow shaft 12 if desired. The pulleys 13 and 14 are rotated in opposite directions, respectively, by any suitable means, such, for instance, as by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1%), 1 914i.

Serial No. M9394.

pulleys 15 and 16 which are fastened to a counter-shaft 17, the pulley 15 being conneeted to the pulley 13 by a straight belt 18, while the pulley 16 is connected to the pulley 1 1- by a cross belt 19. The pulleys 13 and 1 lthus being rotated in opposite directions, it is evident that the shafts 8 and 12 will be rotated in opposite directions.

A brush 20 is fastened to the portion 10 of the shaft 8 adjacent to the shoulder 11 and another brush 21 is fastened to the hollow shaft 12 adjacent to the shoulder 11.. Said brushes 20 and 21 consist, respectively, of hubs 20 and 21 provided with bristles which project from the peripheries thereof. Said brushes are arranged with their median axial lines substantially in alincment with each other. It is evident that when the shafts are rotated by the means hereinbefore described, the brushes 20 and 21 will be rotated in opposite directions, respectively, and that said brushes will be substantially concentric with each other.

It is customary in cleaning shoes in a fac tory to use in connection with the brushes a cleansing liquid, such, for instance, as gasolene, and in the machine of my invention the cleansing liquid is kept in a tank which is supported upon a bracket 23 fast to the frame of the machine. A supply pipe 24- leads out of the tank 22, with its delivery end 25 projecting between the adjacent faces of the brushes 20 and 21. Said delivery end is provided with orifices 26 and a ro-- tary valve 27 is mounted thereon, said valve also being provided with orifices 28 which aline at certain times during the rotation of said valve with the orifices 2G. The valve 27 rests at its lower end upon a plug 29 which projects into the delivery end 25 of the pipe 24. Said valve is guarded against vertical movement by said plug at the lower end thereof and by a collar 30 fast to the delivery end 25 by a set-screw 81.

The interior of tie pipe 24 is filled with felt or waste 32, so that the gasolene is fed gradually from the interior of said pipe through the orifices 26 and 28 against the adjacent faces of the brushes 20 and 21.

A rotary motion is imparted to the valve 27 by the brushes 20 and 21 which, rotating in opposite directions and contacting with said valve upon opposite sides thereof, respectively, impart a rotary motion thereto. Thus the gasolene is fed gradually and evenly to the brushes by which it is placed upon the-shoe during the cleaning operation, The fiow of gasolene through the pipe 24; is regulated by means of a suitable valve 33.

The general operation of the machine hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: The operator holds the shoe against the peripheries of the oppositely rotating brushes. As said shoe bears against both of said brushes at the same time, and as said brushes are rotating in opposite directions, respectively, any tendency of one brush to twist or throw the shoe in one direction will be counteracted by the other brush moving in the opposite direction.

A further advantage secured by my improved cleaning machine is that it is not necessary for the operator to reverse the position of the shoe in order to brush the leather in opposite directions where there is a spot on the shoe. It is customary in cleaning shoe with a brush rotated in one direc tion to first subject that portion of the shoe which has the spot to the action of the brush, holding the shoe with the toe pointed in one direction and then to reverse the shoe, in order that the spot may be brushed in the opposite direction, this being the most efiicacious way in which to remove the spot from the surface 01": the leather, but in my improved machine the shoe is simply moved from one of the brushes 20 to the other brush 21 and thus the spot will be first subjected to the rotation of a brush in one direction and then to the rotation of a brush in the opposite direction, obtaining; the same effect as to the etiicient removal of the spot from the shoe as, in the old form of machine, was obtained by reversing the position of the'shoe relatively to a brush which always moved in one direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is: a

1. A machine for cleaning articles having, in combination, two rotary brushes adjacent to and substantially concentric with each other, means to rotate said brushes in opposite directions, respectively, and means to supply liquid to said brushes embodying a sup 31y pipe with its delivery end projecting between the adjacent faces of said brushes.

2. A machine for cleaning articles having, in combination, two rotary brushes adjacent to and substant ally concentric with each other, means to rotate said brushes in opposite directions, respectively, means to supply liquid to said brushes embodying a supply pipe with its delivery end projecting between the adjacent faces of said brushes and a valve rotatably mounted on said de livery end of said pipe and contacting with the adjacent faces of said brushes, said valve and pipe being provided with orifices through which said liquid may pass to said brushes.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GARL A. MATSON.

Witnesses CHARLES S. Goonme, SYDNEY E. Tara.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

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